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The Segway PT is a two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen. It is produced by Segway Inc. of New Hampshire. The name ''Segway'' is derived from the word ''segue'', meaning ''smooth transition''. ''PT'' is an abbreviation for ''personal transporter''. Computers, sensors, and electric motors in the base of the Segway PT keep the device upright when powered on with balancing enabled. The rider commands the PT to go forward or backward by shifting their weight forward or backward on the platform. The PT uses gyroscopic sensors and accelerometer-based leveling sensors to detect the resulting changes in its pitch angle and, to maintain balance, it drives its wheels forward or backward as needed to return its pitch to upright. In the process, the rider establishes and then maintains a desired speed by modulating the extent and duration of their fore/aft weight shifts. To turn and steer, the rider shifts the handlebar to the left or right. The PT responds by adjusting the speeds of the wheels in opposite directions causing the PT to yaw and, if not traveling forward or backward, turn in place. At speed, the amount of shift of the handlebar corresponds to the amount of left or right lean required by the rider to balance themselves on the platform during a turn. Segway PTs can reach a speed of . ==Early history and pre-release marketing== The Segway PT was known by the names ''Ginger'' and ''IT'' before it was unveiled. ''Ginger'' came out of the first product that used Kamen's balancing technology, the iBOT wheelchair. During development at the University of Plymouth, in conjunction with BAE Systems and Sumitomo Precision Products, the iBot was nicknamed ''Fred Upstairs'' (after Fred Astaire) because it can climb stairs: hence the name ''Ginger'', after Astaire's regular film partner, Ginger Rogers, for a successor product. The invention, development, and financing of the Segway was the subject of a narrative nonfiction book, ''Code Name Ginger'' (in paperback as ''Reinventing the Wheel''), by journalist Steve Kemper. The leak of information from that book led to speculation about the "IT" device prior to release. The speculation created an unexpected advance buzz about the product that was, at times, hyperbolic. Steve Jobs was quoted as saying that it was "as big a deal as the PC", though later sources quoted him as saying when first introduced to the product that its design "sucked".〔("Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos meet "Ginger" )," Steve Kemper, Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, 16 June 2003〕 John Doerr speculated that it would be more important than the Internet.〔 Articles were written in major publications speculating on it being a Stirling engine. ''South Park'' devoted an episode to making fun of the hype before the product was released. The product was unveiled 3 December 2001, in Bryant Park, the privately managed public park located in the New York City borough of Manhattan, on the ABC News morning program ''Good Morning America''. A patent for the Segway was submitted in June 1999 and granted in October 2001 (US PTO #6302230) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Segway PT」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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